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Tricks

I teach my dogs pretty much everything they need to know via tricks. Afterall, agility, obedience, tracking, disc dog... - it's all just another dog trick.

Tricks train them to think, to use their body and mind. Tricks teach them that there is no difference between working and playing and gives them the right attitude. Teaching tricks teaches them that they’re the smartest dogs in the world, that there are no mistakes and no failure, that trying things is good. Tricks give them confidence in their thinking abilities and moves, improve their strength, balance and coordination. Tricks build a bond between me and them and create a deeper understanding for them how I think and for me how they think. Tricks make them feel important, smart, confident, needed and bonded with me.

Tricks are very important for young dogs as they learn to use their body and mind that way. They're also great for cross training of competing dogs, it keeps all the muscle active and strong and prevents injuries. And it's especially great for old dogs, as tricks keep them mentally and physically active and that's what keeps them young and healthy.

AND they don't take much time, space or equipment, so you don't have any excuse not to teach some tricks to your dog!

Here is the right place to post your videos to give us some ideas, to ask questions on "how to" or ask for a suggestion if you get stuck somewhere on a way.

Here comes one of my favourite videos:

winter tricks

To learn more about tricks, please see my training DVDs on tricks.


216 Comments

  1. Tania August 28, 2011 at 14:53 Log in to Reply

    Hi Silvia,

    I have made a video from Jimi during his stay at LoLaBu Land and after that. On this video he’s between 4,5 and 5 months and a week.
    Enjoy !

    Grts Tania & Sabine and our LT bc’s :o)

    Jimi after 3 weeks with us !

    • LoLaBu August 28, 2011 at 16:56 Log in to Reply

      Wow, GREAT!!! He sure is a fast learner!!! Great job!

  2. Lola December 9, 2011 at 20:12 Log in to Reply

    Hi Silvia,
    My JRT is learning the handstand trick but we’re having difficulty getting it off the wall. H rarely actually leans on the wall for support, but cannot get it off the wall like he does on the wall. We’ve been at this stage for months and we’re really stuck. Any ideas?

    • LoLaBu December 9, 2011 at 20:43 Log in to Reply

      Try to go to thinner objects next. Like a thin tree next, then a pole, then a very thin pole, then slowly make a pole thinner&thinner.

  3. AllAboutKeira December 23, 2011 at 06:31 Log in to Reply

    Hi Silvia
    I do hope I am not annoying you with my never ending questions, but I have yet another quick one! Please let me know if I am irritating! 🙂

    On the ‘Ready, Steady, Go!’ video you were talking about happy tricks, so I went about teaching speak, spin, and I really want to teach my pup how to just jump straight up in the air like you were showing us. She can jump into my arms, and over things but I am at a loss on how to get her to jump straight up. Any advice? I tried using a target and getting it higher and higher but she seemed to just end up dancing on hind feet in circles (which I admit was super cute) maybe I just need to be more patient? I don’t know, wondered how you trained your dogs to do it. Thank you so so so much!

    • LoLaBu December 23, 2011 at 17:29 Log in to Reply

      Well, with Bu I just shaped it out from that jumping up with front feet she does when excited. With Le, I captured it, she will do it on her own when I get home or in the morning. And with La, I first had her jump over my leg and then faded the leg. Hope that helps!

      • AllAboutKeira December 23, 2011 at 23:43 Log in to Reply

        Very much thanks! I think how you did it with la will work best for us. 🙂

  4. Amy January 30, 2012 at 13:49 Log in to Reply

    Hi Silvia!
    Spur is very close to an independent hand stand. He is sometimes reaching up with his back legs pretty nicely, but occasionally nearly falls over back wards (I catch him, of course :D). I think that he now needs to figure out how to use his nose as support? It looks like La does that? Did she just eventually figure it out or did you teach it somehow?
    Thanks!!! Amy

    • LoLaBu January 30, 2012 at 22:32 Log in to Reply

      Sounds great! I didn’t specifically teach her that, but I always keep my hand with treats on the ground and also reward on the ground, so that sure keeps their noses down 🙂

  5. Jana February 13, 2012 at 21:14 Log in to Reply

    Hi, how do you teach your dogs to stand on your shoes in the air?

    • LoLaBu February 13, 2012 at 21:35 Log in to Reply

      I 1st teach it as a 4on trick on smaller&smaller objects, then I teach jumping on small&shaky objects -- higher&higher -- and then try feet when I get to that height 🙂

  6. Anonymous February 15, 2012 at 17:10 Log in to Reply

    Hi Silvia!

    Hope winter isn’t too hard over there in Slovenia, here in France we’ve had unusually tough days of snow, and that’s given me plenty of time to get along with foundation tricks with Ever as you advised before.
    She is a great skateboarder now, closes all types of doors and drawers, barks, twitsts, and so many other fun stuff! But I happen to be stuck with your basic front feet on an object and circle with hind feet (foundation for heeling). Here’s my problem: she climbs nicely on the object, and moves her hind feet around so she comes facing me, but them I can’t seem to be able to get her to move from that position facing me.
    I don’t really want to lurre her because, as you said before, shaping is better for her understanding, so I tried clicking every tiny weight shift of her rear, then any tiny movement of hind feet, than any lateral step, but I can’t get ahead from this.
    What I get after a week’s work is a weird (but quite funny!) kind of “bottom dance” from left to right and back again, but no more than 2 or 3 lateral steps each time, so she can saty facing an staring at me. So I suppose I screwed up something…
    My assumptions are: I’ve been rewarding from my hand all the time (me standing close to the object), maybe I should move the reinforcement zone elsewhere?
    I clicked any lateral steps in any direction so now she keeps on going left and then back to the right and so on, so maybe I should choose one direction and clik steps only in the chosen direction?
    I noticed once I dropped an treat on the floor by accident, so she got down from the box to fetch it and when she got back she had to turn her bottom half the way around to face me, so I jackpoted that, was it OK? Should I put more movement in the exercice by sending her away form the box and back again so I can reward more steps?
    Anyway I would really appreciate any tip to get us unstucked… 🙂
    Thanks a lot!!!
    Love,
    Marie

    • Marie February 15, 2012 at 17:14 Log in to Reply

      Ooops! Forgot to log in! Sorry!

    • LoLaBu February 15, 2012 at 20:48 Log in to Reply

      Oh, that’s a typical problem that is addressed to more detail in Heeling video, but yes, you need to always reward with a head turned away from you to teach her turning a head away is o.k. (so present a treat from the side rather than from in front) -- you can also click it when she offers it on her own. You can also stop clicking one direction for now and revisit it once the other direction is fluent. Happy to hear you’re having fun with the tricks!

      • Marie February 27, 2012 at 11:23 Log in to Reply

        Ok, thanks sooo much for the tip! I will try that tonight and tell you how it’s going! And thanks for sharing advice ever so kindly and rapidly in spite of all the work you must have already.
        Love,
        Marie

  7. Anon March 4, 2012 at 11:24 Log in to Reply

    Hi Silvia what do you think of his attitude towards tricks?

    Jack's Clever Dog Tricks!

    • LoLaBu March 4, 2012 at 23:05 Log in to Reply

      That was sure fun!!! Very cool little dog and great tricks! Great job!!!

  8. Alexandra Jones April 9, 2012 at 22:11 Log in to Reply

    I just wanted to say thank you for all the great tricks videos! I don’t know how I’d stay sane without them… my 5 months old puppy is all over the place & wild, but we are having so much fun learning tricks. It’s great to constantly get new ideas for things to keep him occupied.

    • LoLaBu April 9, 2012 at 23:38 Log in to Reply

      Oh, great, happy to hear you and your puppy enjoy the tricks so much! It sure is super fun and great for bond building!

      • Melinda April 10, 2012 at 12:28 Log in to Reply

        I immediately want to join Alexandras “thank you”, Silvia -- it’s just wonderful to obtain so much input, ideas and inspiration with your work. During the present brake in Puppy Class March, we make huge progresses (and mega fun) with improving the course contents and developing new ideas by all your other actions and suggestions.
        Never had so much joy with a dog before (and we never supposed that to be increasable at all 🙂 ).
        It is great to follow your inspiration!
        Best regards
        Melinda, Malaika and Ingrid

        • LoLaBu April 10, 2012 at 22:25 Log in to Reply

          🙂

  9. Mischa July 16, 2012 at 18:09 Log in to Reply

    Hi Silvia!
    I am trying to teach my sweet pointer mix, Bella handstand, but I don’t know what next step is, and how I am gonna get there??

    Hugs from Denmark;
    Mischa, Bella & Lulu

    • LoLaBu July 16, 2012 at 18:20 Log in to Reply

      Would help to know at what step are you?

  10. Mischa July 16, 2012 at 18:32 Log in to Reply

    Hi Silvia,

    I am trying to teach my sweet pointer mix Bella, handstand.
    For the last year I didn’t know how to get to next step and here is where we were:

    Then a friend of mine, a dogtrainer also, told me to work on tricks that will work her abs, like “sit with hands up” and it worked!! She is higher now and her balance is better..

    But what’s next step from here? And how?? I can’t get her to take a step while she is up, but maybe I need to work with the balance a little more??

    Hugs from Denmark;
    Mischa, Bella & Lulu

    • LoLaBu July 16, 2012 at 21:47 Log in to Reply

      Looks really good already! Now it’s just a matter of practice to build enough strength and balance to add more duration. If you want a walking handstand, you can as well offer some support (let her lean on your hand with hind feet) and try to get the step forward then. It’s often easier for them to stay on front feet while walking forward, so definitely worth showing her this option to see if she finds it easier too.


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articles beyond foundations bi bu busting the myths camps EO foundations hiking la le my philosophy my videos photos puppies! puppy class running contacts students's videos students' videos students' videos ta To trials tricks world championships xtreme xtreme foundations
sialaSilvia Trkman is known for bringing every dog, from her first dog on, to the very top of the sport. Her dogs are known for great speed, tight turns, running contacts and long and injury-free careers. Silvia is in agility since 1992 and is
– 3x World Champion (with two different dogs)
– 5x European Open winner, with 4 different dogs (Lo, La, Bu, Le)!!!
– National Championships podium and World Team member with every dog she’s ever had
– National Champion for 22-times (with 5 different dogs of 3 different breeds)

– World Team member for 19-times (mostly with at least two dogs at the time – sometimes four 🙂 )

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